Memoirs of McGregor Bay reads like a folksy oral history of the summertime community of islands, a short boat ride from Little Current and light years away from the urban dwellings McGregor Bay residents have escaped annually since the beginning of the 20th century. The book features dozens of pictures from as far back as 1915. St. Pierre's love for photography started when he was a boy and his pictures and words prove to be a valuable archive of an area rich in history.

St. Pierre is a true pioneer of McGregor Bay. Along with his father and brothers, he built and maintained many of the area’s first camps, cottages and lodges. He was a guide. He ran a supply boat. He cut ice in the winter and caught fish in the summer. He became a dean among McGregor Bay's community of caretakers. And for a few days in 1943, he went fishing with the most powerful man in the world.

"I wanted it to be a reference book for people," St. Pierre said last summer at a book signing party for him and his wife, Germaine. "If someone was curious about something in McGregor Bay, they could look it up in my book." Or, more importantly, as he writes in the book: "When I'm gone there isn't anyone who can tell our side of the Bay as I can."

History has always been an important part of the society of McGregor Bay. St. Pierre's book is at least the third written history of the area that has been produced. Several residents contributed to St. Pierre's publication by providing the history of their own cottage or how their family first came to McGregor Bay. And while many of the people St. Pierre reminisces about have passed away, a lot of their children, grandchildren or great-grand children came to the book signing to snap up copies of Memoirs of McGregor Bay.

Ernie was the only person who could now do this book," said Dink Frazier, a summertime resident of McGregor Bay whose family once owned a lodge where St. Pierre's brother Charlie was the caretaker. "His father grew up here. His brothers were the main guides here. His family designed square-bottomed boats. And Ernie is such a great story teller." Most current residents of McGregor Bay got to know Ernie and Germaine St. Pierre while they were caretakers at Northway Lodge, a luxurious camp owned by the Holderman family from Ohio.

Caretakers in McGregor Bay were a special and now vanishing breed. There were once about two dozen full-time caretakers who looked after giant lodges owned by wealthy Americans who flocked to area before and after the Second World War. This is where the men who controlled Zenith Radio, Greyhound Bus Lines and the Cincinnati Reds came for fish and fun, as did plenty of other regular millionaires.

"I knew what I wanted to do with my life," St. Pierre writes in his memoirs. "It was the love of the outdoors, being on the lake or in the woods, hunting, and fishing, everything to do with nature that I desired."

The St. Pierres recently retired after more than 40 years at Northway Lodge. During that time, they became a surrogate aunt and uncle to a whole generation of McGregor Bay residents lucky enough to catch their limit of smallmouth with Ernie or to feast on a plate of Germaine's butter tarts.

To those people, Memoirs of McGregor Bay will be special. But not just to those who know Ernie and Germaine. Where else, for instance, can you get a first-hand report about the time Franklin Roosevelt came looking for walleye in the waters of McGregor Bay? It was 1943, when the war was reaching a critical point for the Allies, and Roosevelt was on his way to Quebec City to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. But first, he wanted a few days of rest and relaxation. St. Pierre was running his supply boat at the time, making the trip from Little Current to McGregor Bay. Eugene McDonald, a one-time commander in the U.S. Navy who became head of Zenith Radio, had bought an island in McGregor Bay known as Pardsay Crag. McDonald asked St. Pierre if he would like to guide for a very important person, but he didn't tell him who it would be. The mystery lasted right until a jeep drove down the road at Birch Island. "Commander said, 'Come on Ernie, I want you to meet the President of the United States.' “St. Pierre writes. “It was like I was glued to the dock. Then I recovered and went with him. If I had known before I sure would have not shown up. Commander knew this and that was the secret he kept until the last minute. "I shook hands with the President, and then he said, 'Do you know where we can catch a pickerel or two?' I said I most certainly did." They fished for three different days. A stone memorial marking the occasion still stands on Highway 6 at Birch Island, the first nations reserve north of Little Current where Roosevelt's special train was parked during his visit.

The FDR story may be one for the history books, but St. Pierre has included a lot of fun stuff too. There's the wealthy woman who never took a bath in water but had her maid bathe her in creams and oils; the cottage owner who was so fat he needed help getting dressed; the wealthy American who sold his cottage in a hurry after being caught poaching deer and the absolutely hilarious story of a man who had the not-so-bright idea of trying to sell two McGregor Bay bear cubs in Toronto. The warmth and wisdom of Ernie St. Pierre can be found on every page of Memoirs of McGregor Bay.

Memoirs of McGregor Bay is a personal history of McGregor Bay by Ernie St. Pierre, who grew up in the community of islands and became one of the area's best-known residents. Throughout his varied career, St. Pierre built cottages with his father and brothers, was a caretaker for many wealthy Americans and was one of the Bay's best fishing guides. St. Pierre's expertise as a guide earned him one of the most important and potentially nerve-wracking assignments for a few days in 1943. The following excerpt from McGregor Bay Memoirs tells how St. Pierre got the chance to take Franklin Roosevelt fishing:

I was running a supply boat at the time to all the camps. Commander (Eugene McDonald, head of Zenith Radio who owned a cottage in McGregor Bay) asked me to ask the camps if they could get along for a week without my services. They said they could.... I asked him who I was to guide. He said I would find out later.

I was accustomed to guiding different celebrities. One that stands out was Mr. Borgulum, who carved the presidents' heads on Mount Rushmore, so I thought it would be someone like that. At any rate, I didn't question him. I was curious by now as to who would be the next one I was to guide....

We went to Birch Island and waited. Pretty soon a lot of boats were arriving, boats like I had never seen before.... Now cars began to come down the hill letting out men, stationed all along the road with machine guns. I later found out they were Secret Service men and Mounted Police. Then a jeep came down and drove to the dock near the boat. Commander said, "Come on Ernie, I want you to meet the President of the United States.” It was like I was glued to the dock. Then I recovered and went with him. If I had known before I sure would have not shown up. Commander knew this and that was the secret he kept until the last minute. I shook hands with the President, and then he said, "Do you know where we can catch a pickerel or two?" I said I most certainly did....

We started away with all the boats trailing us. Speed boats, cruisers, all heavily armed and then a plane made its appearance. It was called a Catalina Bomber, I found out later. ...

We were arriving at Harrison Rock and started trolling to get the President used to his tackle. He had only fished deep sea fishing before this. He caught two small pike before we were through the channel.

Then we headed for McGregor Island through the Blasted Channel on down the south side of the channel. ... The first pickerel he caught was over nine pounds and it took a long time before he got it in the boat. The President was having the greatest time. It was his first and he was making the best of it. I only had to tell him one time and he didn't forget again. A real fisherman. We caught three walleyes all told in our boat. The President caught two....

I forgot to tell you I was made to promise not to take any pictures. He did autograph a postcard for me the last day.

The President wrote: "To Ernie on a perfect day, Franklin Delano Roosevelt."

I originally had a link to this article on the web but the site went down so I am posting the original here.  My apologies to the orginal author.  WNF
 

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